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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28314507">I'll wait every night for the morning sun to rise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnighth0wls/pseuds/midnighth0wls'>midnighth0wls</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Fluff, Language of Flowers, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic Shop, Romance, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Witches</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:06:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28314507</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnighth0wls/pseuds/midnighth0wls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't a secret that magic coexisted in their everyday lives, but it was rare to come across even a glimmer of it nowadays. And although he knew magic existed, Chan never thought he would ever stumble upon it in his very normal, uneventful life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan/Hwang Hyunjin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. bells of Ireland, heather, and lily of the valley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>happy holidays everyone!<br/>i'm back with another fic about a magic store lmao<br/>enjoy! ~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The three little silver bells over the door tinkled softly, like a light almost faint giggle, when a new customer entered the store. Chan looked around the cluttered place in awe - at the prevalent palette of green and its different shades, at the impressive amount of colorful flowers he couldn't even name half of. They were carefully situated where they could bask in the soft morning light coming from the display window, hanging from the ceiling and taking up all space possible in shelves and tables and the wooden floor. So distinct from the urban scenery outside, it was almost as if he had entered a different realm, a land of beautiful faeries and wise elves. He had to do a double-take at the paper between his fingers to make sure he was at the right place; but no other store down this street seemed to be the herbal shop Changbin - poor bed-ridden, grumpy Changbin - asked him to go in his stead.</p>
<p>"Welcome!" the loud, silvery voice of a boy snapped Chan out of his reverie. He spun around, spotting a head of messy black hair exit the back door and walk up to stand behind the counter. "How may I help you?" with a polite smile, he straightened the big, round glasses that were slipping down his nose. He couldn't be much older than Jisung, Chan noticed.</p>
<p>"Hm, I'm here to pick up an order from a friend. He's sick and asked me to come," his voice sounded barely louder than a murmur, eyes continuously shifting from the boy's face down to the papers and the dried herbs scattered all over the counter and back up. He didn't know why - maybe it was the unexpectedly handsome face staring very intently at him, Chan was doomed - but he made him feel slightly intimidated, timid even.</p>
<p>"Oh, of course! May I know your friend's name?" </p>
<p>Chan provided the information asked, and the young boy disappeared behind the back door for a couple of minutes. When he came back, a small paper bag with a shiny golden sticker of the store's name was held in his hands. The exchange proceeded in a comfortable silence, only broken once when he stated the cost to pay. With Changbin's order - some type of organic, customized tea - secured in his backpack, he opened his mouth to bid goodbye when a sudden clang startled them both.</p>
<p>A <em>floating</em> watering can had just collided with a metallic flower pot in its attempt to water some gazanias. It literally floated in the air, no seemingly hand in sight to hold it. Chan blinked several times, rubbed at his eyes, thinking it was just a dream, his imagination - but it was none of that.</p>
<p>"What a surprise!" the boy exclaimed, though he seemed rather happier than shocked. "That's a first," Chan couldn't believe the surreal situation he was in, and was growing increasingly worried at the lack of alarm in his response. "It usually takes her some more time to warm up to other people, she must really like you!"</p>
<p>Chan just stared in disbelief at his face, eyes wide like saucers, too stunned to ask <em>who the heck</em> was he talking about.</p>
<p>"Oh my, dear Goddess! I'm sorry, are you scared of magic?" he immediately asked with rushed almost slurred words, concerned, upon seeing his expression.</p>
<p>His instant response was: "No." Unless his life was at risk - which he truly doubted was the case, because what could a floating watering can do? Splash him? - he didn't feel frightened; actually, he was just incredulous at the whole current events. "Are you... a Witch?"</p>
<p>It wasn't a secret that magic coexisted in their everyday lives, but it was rare to come across even a glimmer of it nowadays. Over the years traditions got lost, perished, changed; the new generations weren't as interested in Witchcraft as their elders used to be. And although he knew magic existed, Chan never thought he would ever stumble upon it in his very normal, uneventful life.</p>
<p>"You could say I am," the boy laughed, visibly relaxing. "I just have an affinity to magic. But that wasn't me, it was the store's free will," before Chan could ask, he elaborated his statement: "You see, this place was built over a plot with impressive magical properties many, many years ago. That magic enchanted the building and gave her a mind of her own, like an extension of its powers. My family has been taking care of the store since its construction, though the magic in our blood has been vanishing generation after generation. I'm nowhere as powerful as my ancestors were," the boy let out a long sigh, and Chan patiently waited for him to finish. He didn't know why was he explaining this all to him but he didn't want to seem rude and leave. After a few seconds, his pensive expression turned bright once again, eyes all sparkly and adorably squinted with the force of his smile. "See those gerbera daisies near the window display?" he asked, pointing at a ceramic pot of red flowers with an impressive amount of petals. "They absolutely love your friend, Changbin, and follow him around like curious little ducklings," his giggle made Chan's fingertips pleasantly tingle. "It actually took the store a few of his visits to gain trust and reveal herself, so I'm greatly surprised she liked you so fast."</p>
<p>"... Thanks?" it didn't happen often, not to say never, but Chan was at a loss for words. He started to step back.</p>
<p>His smile only grew bigger. "I hope to see you soon!"</p>
<p>Chan awkwardly shrugged and left.</p>
<p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p>
<p>Chan came back to the store exactly a week later. Now, it's not like he had actually planned to go back - the whole magic store thing didn't really thrill him, and it wasn't a matter of believing in it or not. He was well aware of what he saw, listened to the Witch's explanation (though he not even once asked for one). But he had lived all his life so far without magic around him, and that was his comfort zone - he wasn't going to get overly excited because he met a Witch and his magical store.</p>
<p>So his initial plan was that: forget about the shop, about magic, and never go back there. But then Chan had a talk with Changbin, that maybe (just maybe) changed his mind a little bit. </p>
<p>The following day, he had visited his friend to deliver his tea. The black-haired was enthusiastic to hear all about Chan's little adventure, which he proceeded to recount.</p>
<p>"That's fantastic, Chan!" Changbin exclaimed, clapping his hands in what he supposed was a cutesy act. The aforementioned raised an eyebrow, confused at his delightment. "You should definitely go back! It's a nice, friendly environment, and the service is always excellent! Plus, the owner hasn't been selling much for the past months, he barely makes enough to pay bills and buy new goods for his store, so a new customer would do wonders for his business," this part piqued Chan's interest, and he tuned in for a seemingly, and once again not asked for, long explanation. "His parents, who used to run the store, left for his father's hometown once he turned of age, and for the past couple of years he's been the only one managing the business. Not everyone is fond of magic and apparently the store is averse to having non-magical employees, so he's all on his own."</p>
<p>"Hold on, how the heck do you know so much about all this?" he didn't know how long Changbin had known the store's owner, but this story didn't seem one he would disclose to a random customer but a friend.</p>
<p>"Because we've talked a lot," he answered, as if it was obvious and Chan was being ridiculous. He decided not to question further - because Changbin was Changbin and his reasonings always escaped him, and because he was busy replaying his words over and over again in his head, like an anchor sinking deeper in the depths of the ocean of thoughts his mind consisted of, serving as a reminder that he had a weak heart for cute smiles and sparkly eyes and helping others out.</p>
<p>And that's how the following week found Chan discreetly peering inside the Witch's herbal store from outside, from where he could see several pots of tiny flowers tilting their buds like they were confused puppies watching him, and that he pointedly ignored in favor of keeping his sight trained on the boy sitting behind the counter, hands moving and working on something his eyes couldn't catch from that distance. He couldn't gather enough courage to enter the shop, ashamed of his broken purpose of never coming back (even if the Witch didn't know he had actually told himself that). But when he received the third weird stare from a passerby - did he truly look that creepy? - he heaved a deep sigh, slapped his cheeks to get a grip of himself, and headed for the door.</p>
<p>The Witch snapped his head up at the sound of the three little silver bells, and flashed Chan a big, pleased smile, like he was actually glad to see him again. </p>
<p>"Welcome back!" he exclaimed, dropping the pair of scissors he was holding on the countertop and smoothing out the wrinkles of his cream-colored blouse with both hands. Chan gave him a nod, a little smile playing on his lips, when his attention got caught by a lone white flower in a crystal vase, placed next to the cash register and waving its leaves like a greeting to the newcomer. "That's a lisianthus," the boy piped up, having caught the strange look on his face. "These beauties symbolize appreciation and charisma, so I thought he'd like being on the spotlight," he chuckled.</p>
<p>Chan then realized he had been silent the whole time, and hurried to speak up before it got too awkward.</p>
<p>"W-what are you making?" he gestured at the numerous rainbow-colored cardstock, pressed flowers and red cord scattered in front of the boy, who quickly gathered a few of his seemingly finished creations to show him.</p>
<p>"Charmed bookmarks!" the Witch's excitement appeared to be contagious when the lisianthus flower started to profusely shake its leaves. </p>
<p>Chan leaned in slightly closer to look, swallowing down his surprised gasp. He was marveled at the boy's crafts - the thoughtful placement of the dried flowers, a mosaic of dull yet sophisticated colors, the hand-drawn motifs in the corners with sparkling golds and glossy silvers, and the eye-catching red cord, the finishing touch of his works.</p>
<p>The black-haired boy smiled big and proud upon noticing his interest, and softly asked: "Would you like one?"</p>
<p>With flushed cheeks, Chan nodded, and the other turned around to rummage through the workshop drawers right behind the counter. Whether he had noticed or not, he was relieved no comment was made about his suddenly reddened face.</p>
<p>The store's owner faced him again after a couple of seconds, a bookmark on the palm of his hand and a tender, almost thoughtful look in his eyes. It was a piece of rectangular cardboard colored the orange of a sunset sky, with a waterfall of flowers, ranging from green, to purple and finally white, and their corresponding silhouettes drawn in golden ink in the background, creating a captivating pattern. </p>
<p>"They're all flowers meant to bring good luck; the bells of Ireland, the heather, which is also for protection, and the lily of the valley, for a sprinkle of happiness alongside your fortune."</p>
<p>Chan took the presented charm with careful hands.</p>
<p>"How much-"</p>
<p>"It's on the house," upon noticing his customer's wide, surprised eyes, the Witch's cheeks colored a pretty red the roses in the store couldn't compete against. "A gift, if you would, as a thank you for coming back," he elaborated, a flustered lilt in his tone that Chan found endearing.</p>
<p>He wasn't sure how true his words were, doubting that was a recurring thing as the economical impact would be negative for the owner of the business, in the end. Still, the little excuse made his heart flutter and therefore he decided not to interfere with his possibly, but just slightly, affected sales.</p>
<p>And right then, waving the Witch goodbye, after thanking him reiterated times, Chan was glad he had visited the store again.</p>
<p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p>
<p>Truth be told, Chan didn't think much about the charmed bookmark once he safely stored it between random pages of the journal Felix got him for Christmas, a popular cartoon of a bear in the front cover. He thought it was too beautiful to be used as it was meant to, seeing as he tended to lose bookmarks after he used them (and quite often that happened) and in the end he always resorted to loose scraps of paper. Thus, the Witch's gift was treasured and carried with him every single day.</p>
<p>Although Chan, if he was being quite honest, thought his fortune wasn't going to change just because he now had an apparent good luck charm, thought of it as a childish, silly belief; little things around him began to happen.</p>
<p>It all started with small, almost insignificant occurrences he didn't ponder much on - finding extra coins hidden at the bottom of his bag when he most needed them, for once not losing the train despite being a minute late, or getting a free drink at a café he frequented from a promotion he was unaware of. </p>
<p>But then, following soon after, those fortunate incidents became too ridiculous to be considered mere coincidences. An afternoon stuck at the radio station he worked in, umbrella forgotten at home and a pouring rain outside; the moment he got out, dreading the way back home, the sky was clear, no sign of the previous downpour except for the several puddles he saw along the street. Yet, no more than five minutes after he set foot in his apartment, he heard the unmistakable pitter-patter on his window. Chan could only but stare, dumbfounded, at the water droplets dripping down the glass, until his stomach growled in protest and he decided to cast this strange situation aside in order to satiate his hunger.</p>
<p>However, it only escalated from there, and it became harder to ignore.</p>
<p>The defining moment happened barely a couple of days after the rain event, when a monthly meeting at the radio station took place. Chan had reluctantly sat through the entire hour it usually lasted, bored out of his mind and expecting the same outcome as the past few times when it came to his show - his fellow teammates (Changbin and Jisung, who worked under his direction and had been his friends for the longest time) and him had come up with an idea for a new segment they were enthusiastic about, only to have their superiors turn it down in every occasion it was brought up, spewing excuses that sounded far too made up to even make sense. </p>
<p>So, nearing the end of the meeting and when his show was mentioned, another resolute rejection is what Chan expected.</p>
<p>Big was his surprise when he was met with smiles instead of frowns, praises instead of pity glances and hushed whispers. If it hadn't been for Jisung's (very loud) gasp of shock, he wouldn't have believed what his ears had heard - they had received their much desired approval.</p>
<p>Once the meeting ended and back in their studio, the three friends got down to work on the new segment - since their show was music-centered, from classics and personal favorites to new discoveries (and, occasionally, their own songs too), they had thought of having their listeners send them their demos to play on the show, give shout-outs to promising, small artists. It not only allowed them to enjoy fresh, interesting content, but they could share it with their audience.</p>
<p>Within the first few hours after an announcement was posted on their website and social media, their inbox was flooded with hundreds of emails, and the feedback they received was nothing but positive, overwhelmingly so. Chan felt like he was walking on a cloud; it was hard to wrap his head around the current events, but at the same time, it was the only thing that occupied his overactive mind.</p>
<p>Their new segment was scheduled to start the following week, leaving the team enough time to prepare the scripts and the line up of songs they'd play, as well as their usual content.</p>
<p>When they got out of work in the evening, a couple of co-workers (Felix and Seungmin, who had a talk show the hour before them) invited the trio for a late dinner and some drinks to celebrate the good news. The place they chose was close to the train station and despite the hour, it was buzzing with activity.</p>
<p>"Man, that was completely unexpected, I still can't believe it! But I'm so happy!", exclaimed Changbin, slapping poor Seungmin in the arm with excitement. Chan distractedly nodded his head, busy distributing food to his friends' plates.</p>
<p>Jisung opened his eyes wide, not even waiting to swallow a mouthful of meat to contribute to the conversation. "I know right! It was like.." he snapped with fingers multiple times, willing his mind to provide with a proper way to describe what he was feeling. "It was like, as if by magic!"</p>
<p>Had Chan been drinking at that moment, he would had surely choked when Jisung's words hit him like a punch; but luck really seemed to be on his side. The sudden halt in his movements caught the attention of his friends, wondering out loud what had made him as pale as if he had seen a ghost. However, Chan's mind was a constant replying of <em>magic, magic, magic</em>, and the imagery that word sparked in his memory - black hair, roses and silver bells. The craziness of the recent situation he was in had clouded one important fact that had more weigh in the matter than what his friends could ever conceive.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry guys," he stood up and put on his jacket in the blink of an eye, while his friends stared dumbfounded at his nervous, very uncharacteristic actions. "I-I'm going home, see you all tomorrow!" and before he could receive an answer, Chan practically bolted out of the restaurant.</p>
<p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p>
<p>Despite the little to no sleep Chan had gotten that night, and the quick pace his mind had been working since the moment he woke up, he didn't feel tired in the slightest. Energized, maybe, but not in a good, healthy state, but rather in a restless kind of way, where sleep seemed a too far-fetched idea when there was just too much to do instead. On top of the hasty list his brain had conjured that morning was the place he was now standing in front of - the rising sun had just peeked from the tallest buildings and was grazing Chan's nape with a reassuring warmth, gently giving him the courage to enter the Witch's store.</p>
<p>Before he pushed the door open, Chan took notice of a pair of amber, unblinking eyes staring straight at him, coming from a black cat perched on top of a wooden bench outside of the shop, basking in the morning sunrays. It seemed to scrutinize him, give him all of its attention but keeping a safe distance; Chan nodded briefly at the feline, and decided it didn't look friendly enough to try to pet.</p>
<p>The three little silver bells tinkled louder than usual, the sound causing the store owner to snap his head up from the bunch of stems he was neatly cutting. When he realized who had entered his eyes slightly widened, to Chan's surprise.</p>
<p>"Good morning!" the Witch greeted, quickly gathering the flowers he had been trimming to put in the front pocket of his yellow apron. It had cute, tiny daisies embroidered onto the fabric, and Chan briefly wondered if he had sewn them.</p>
<p>"Good morning," standing in front of the boy, counter in between, he noticed he was a few centimeters taller, and without the round glasses his features looked sharper, but still beautiful. Chan felt his ears redden when he realized he hadn't said anything in a beat too long, in which the other hadn't attempted conversation either, despite how much he seemed to usually talk. "I came to thank you, for the charm. It worked wonders," when the words registered in the black-haired boy's mind, his mouth opened in a silent <em>oh</em>, to Chan's bemusement. Was it that strange to show his gratitude for a gift he was given?</p>
<p>"There was no need for that," the boy mumbled, averting his eyes with what Chan supposed was bashfulness. It was a rare sight for someone who radiated confidence, but still lovely either way. Before he could delve any more into that thought, the Witch was looking at him again, a tentative smile on his lips. "I don't think I got your name?"</p>
<p>"It's Chan," he replied, asking for his in return.</p>
<p>"Hyunjin."</p>
<p>He almost whispered the name right back, just to taste the sweetness of each syllable in his mouth. Instead, he let it echo in his mind, engraving the sound to memory, until it would softly lull him to sleep that night.</p>
<p>A sudden scratching sound caught their attention, and both turned their heads in time to see the front door open, and the black cat from before enter the shop.</p>
<p>"Oh? Were you outside all this time?"</p>
<p>Chan wasn't sure if Hyunjin expected an answer, but the feline ignored their stares and marched straight to the back door behind the Witch. It opened of its own accord, and closed once the cat had gone inside.</p>
<p>"Sorry, he just likes to come and go as he pleases."</p>
<p>"Is he your pet?" Chan asked, then remembered something else. "Your familiar?"</p>
<p>"No, no!" Hyunjin shook his head, as soft laughter spilled from his lips. "He'd claw my eyes out if I ever referred to him as such." </p>
<p>Chan didn't know what to reply to that. Now that he had already thanked the Witch for the charm and the fortune it had conferred him, the purpose of his visit had been completed, he had no other reason to stay for longer than that. Yet, he found himself looking for an excuse to linger for a few more moments.</p>
<p>"I would like to purchase a plant," his sudden declaration made Hyunjin jump in his place, eyes wide open, that quickly transformed into a big, pleased smile. "Something... easy to take care of?" he added with sheepishness, hand on the back of his neck, hoping the other wouldn't realize how much he was improvising right now.</p>
<p>Hyunjin nodded, walked out from behind the counter, and with a gentle touch to his arm, beckoned Chan to follow him to the array of folding tables, crates and racks in the other side of the store, with a wide variety of flora. Upon noticing the Witch approaching, the flowers and other plants started to shake and wave their leaves, in hopes of catching his attention. Hyunjin watched them with a fond smile, gently caressing petals and letting them curl around his fingers. The ivy hanging from a pot in the ceiling reached out with one of its tendrils to pat Chan's head, who discreetly took a step aside, partially hiding behind the other boy.</p>
<p>"How about this little lady?" Hyunjin blurted out, pointing at a small cactus with a cute pink flower on top. When it noticed Chan staring, it waved one of its pad-like stems. Chan snorted, rapidly covering his mouth with a hand when the Witch looked at him with a mix of confusion and amusement. "Cacti are a good option for beginners. They don't need much watering, just a good sunny spot and love. And she seems to like you!" his excitement, once again, spread to his plants, and the faint sound of rustling could be heard all around the shop. Along with Hyunjin's laugh, Chan thought he heard the whisper of silver bells.</p>
<p>And so, Chan was now in care of a little cactus he decided to name Prickly (because Hyunjin insisted that naming his new plant was important, like adopting a child; and Chan's name-giving skills weren't too original). However, the cactus seemed to love the name, seeing how the petals of the flower on top of it curled and jiggled every time he mentioned it. Chan found a perfect spot for his new cactus in his coffee table, where direct sunlight struck for the longest in his apartment, and surprisingly (as he had, frankly, been quite weirded out at first), grew accustomed fairly quickly to the plant waving its pads every time he arrived home. The now familiar action always managed to bring a smile to his lips, for it reminded Chan of a certain boy and his peculiar store.</p>
<p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p>
<p>The devilish smirk Changbin was sporting when he entered the studio made Chan frown; he knew that face, and he knew that it could only mean someone was going to get teased. When a pair of eyes fell on him, accompanied by the giggling Jisung when he realized what was about to happen, Chan sighed and accepted his fate.</p>
<p>"A very charming boy asked me this morning about my kind and nice friend and the plant apparently named <em>Prickly</em> under his care," said Changbin in one breath, too fast that it took the other two a couple of seconds to catch on what he had stated. Changbin took a seat on the leather couch and batted his eyelashes at the older man in the room, with the least convincing innocent expression he had ever seen on his friend.</p>
<p>But before he could reply, Jisung moved from his place near the window, where he had been watching the early afternoon traffic and providing Chan with comments about the sight five stories below, and plopped down next to the black-haired man.</p>
<p>"Gossip! I love gossip!" he exclaimed, eliciting a laugh from Changbin. He was having way too much fun with the prospect of potentially embarrassing Chan.</p>
<p>"Flower boy might have a crush on our dear Chan-hyung," he wiggled his brows at said hyung, while Chan sputtered and turned a bright red color. <em>A crush?!</em></p>
<p>Jisung snorted at the word-choice, but still asked who <em>flower boy</em> was. </p>
<p>"Oh, do you remember that herbal shop I go to often? <em>The Garden of Antheia</em>? I posted a few times about it on our account," Jisung paused to think for a moment, then nodded his head when that name seemed to ring a bell. "He works there. They met when Chan went to pick up something for me."</p>
<p>"That's so romantic," remarked Jisung, and both of them turned to look at Chan as if waiting for him to speak up about the matter. But Chan had nothing to add past his very flustered face. He could tell his cheeks had turned a vivid red from the warmth he felt, extending to the tip of his ears, and he had started fidgeting with his hands. That's all his friends needed to figure out what he didn't say with words. "You like him too!"</p>
<p>The idea of Chan having a crush seemed to thrill them, but he couldn't say he wasn't surprised. Those two loved romantic dramas.</p>
<p>"It's not like <em>like</em>," protested Chan, even though his friends were too busy giggling at each other to pay him any attention. Then, to himself, he added: "I might be, just, slightly interested."</p>
<p>No matter how low he had muttered the words, Changbin and Jisung had an exceptionally good hearing. And that prompted them to start laughing even louder, sharing knowing looks that just made Chan sigh.</p>
<p>Truth is, he wouldn't really call it a crush. Hyunjin was beautiful, yes, that was common knowledge. But his charm was beyond physical qualities; he was kind and caring, obvious traits that were easy to pick up just from the way he looked after his plants, and how much they loved him in return. Chan thought he was cute, too, and the few times they had interacted he had enjoyed those moments, and he looked forward to the next time they could talk. So maybe, he did like him. A little bit. </p>
<p>"I'm glad you two hit if off," Changbin said when their laughter calmed down, though Jisung was still hiding a playful smile behind his hand. "Hyunjin's a nice dude."</p>
<p>"Haven't met him yet but I approve of this relationship," stated the younger boy, teasingly, giving him thumbs-up with both hands.</p>
<p>"There's no relationship," sighed Chan, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Now you two get up, we should get started on work," when he noticed Jisung opened his mouth to protest, he quickly added: "If I don't see your asses get off that couch in three seconds I'm getting you two fired and I'm joining Felix and Seungmin's show."</p>
<p>That was an empty threat, one Chan had used countless of times when Jisung and Changbin slacked off at work, but one that always made them laugh, claim he would never do such thing, and get on with the day's tasks.</p>
<p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p>
<p>Chan hadn't planned this out at all. It seemed like his forte was improvising lately.</p>
<p>When he woke up that morning and took notice of the lack of... food, to put it simply, in his fridge and cupboards, he decided to take a short trip to the grocery store. It was a warm day, the sky a beautiful shade of blue and vacant of clouds, with a gentle breeze blowing and carrying the various smells of the nearby shops; like the freshly baked bread from the neighbourhood's bakery, or the intense trace of sugary treats from the candy shop where a group of children were screaming and laughing and sharing sweets. The lively sight made Chan smile, but he didn't stop to get himself the sour gummies he liked.</p>
<p>Once he had loaded his groceries in the cloth bag he had brought, a fleeting thought crossed his mind - why not, take the long way home? Exercising is good for your health!</p>
<p>In reality that was the excuse he told himself to explain why he had chosen to pass by Hyunjin's store. Which, to his surprise, was opened.</p>
<p>The pot with petunias placed close to the entrance door tilted its flowers with curiosity at the sound of the three little silver bells. Following the clear tinkle, Chan was greeted by a loud meow that didn't exactly feel too welcoming.</p>
<p>"Minho! You already know you can't lounge on the counter!" exclaimed the Witch, pointing an accusing finger at the black cat with amber eyes, that huffed at his words but obliged and jumped down to scurry behind the wide leaves of some plants on the floor. "Morning, Chan."</p>
<p>Chan looked away from the cat's hiding place. Hyunjin picked up a heavy-looking box from the floor and dropped it on the counter before facing Chan, sporting a sweet yet strained smile. He looked to be busy, considering all the other boxes and gardening tools scattered around the store, but he was still giving him all of his attention. </p>
<p>He chose to pretend his heart didn't skip a beat.</p>
<p>"Good morning, Hyunjin. I didn't know you opened on Saturdays."</p>
<p>"Just mornings. In case a customer couldn't come during the week to pick up their orders I leave a few hours on Saturdays for that, and meanwhile I prepare stuff for Monday," he gestured at the mess behind him. The ivy on the ceiling slowly stretched its leaves towards Chan, who awkwardly waved his hand to say hello. That, in turn, prompted all the other plants in the store to shake, as if they were copying Chan and were greeting him back. Hyunjin seemed delighted by the sight and the gentle rustling sound, low and soft, like the constant break of waves when they get to the shore. But instead of blue, Hyunjin's store was a sea of green in all of its shades, equally beautiful and mesmerizing to see. "I think they missed you."</p>
<p>"It hasn't even been a week since I last came," he countered. The thought of having an army of plants that liked him enough to be excited when he addressed them didn't freak him out as much as he presumed. It was weird, though, but he was getting used to this new world that had opened to him ever since he met Hyunjin.</p>
<p>The Witch giggled, a sweet tune that made Chan automatically smile.</p>
<p>"If you like someone, you miss their presence from the moment they leave to the next time you see them," he expressed, raising a hand to brush aside the strands that had fallen over his eyes.</p>
<p>If Chan had been a bold man, he would have asked '<em>did you miss me, too?'</em>; but he wasn't, and the thought alone made the tips of his ears get red. And so, he changed topics to something that felt safer.</p>
<p>"Do you need help around here?" he motioned to the disorder behind Hyunjin with a hand. He had stolen enough of his time already, and it's not like he was in a hurry to get home.</p>
<p>Hyunjin was about to shake his head when a ball of paper emerged out of nowhere and collided with the back of his head. It followed a meow that strangely resembled a snicker.</p>
<p>"Let me guess," started Chan, trying hard not to smile at the cute pout the other boy was sporting. "That was the store?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," he heaved a sigh, bending down to pick up the harmless projectile. "That's her way of telling me something <em>instead of actually writing it out like I know you can do</em>," the last part was a grunted remark that he directed at the ceiling just to look at somewhere, but was actually aimed at the disembodied owner of such childish act. Hyunjin looked back down at Chan, and both of them burst into laughter. "Aren't you busy?" he pointed at the cloth bag on his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Just groceries, it can wait."</p>
<p>The Witch shrugged, but still thanked him for offering a helping hand. Chan placed his bag on the counter, and as they went around the store, Hyunjin explained the tasks he had to do; like checking on stocks, whether he was running out of some medicinal plants or essential oils, and making sure nothing was damaged. Sorting out the goods he had received earlier that morning, too, to have it all ready for Monday. </p>
<p>"What do you think about these ribbons I ordered? They were on sale," he held up the silky blue material for Chan to see. "Maybe they'll make my bouquets look cuter."</p>
<p>"I'm sure they're already pretty cute," his reply made Hyunjin laugh happily, handing him a few packages of teas to put on their corresponding baskets. </p>
<p>When he had asked him about them and the candles that were displayed on the same table, Hyunjin mentioned he made them, using the same plants he cultivated around the store and the greenhouse on the back. Not only the charmed bookmarks, but the candles had a sprinkle of magic in them that activated when the wick burned, and the different herbs he used for his teas were carefully put together to ensure that they were effective in their various purposes, like relieving an upset stomach or helping concentrate. Chan was impressed by all the devoted attention, care and love he put into his work.</p>
<p>Hyunjin let out an embarrassed laugh when Chan voiced his thoughts. "It's all I have, and it's my duty to make the business prosper to ensure her permanence," he explained, rearranging some yellow flowers in a glass vase. "I live upstairs, too, so you could say my life revolves around the store," though the comment was meant to sound humorous, it still held a tinge of dismay, of resignation, that made Chan's heart ache for Hyunjin, for all the things he was missing on because he was permanently bound to his work.</p>
<p>But it didn't seem like a topic the other boy wanted to touch on any further, and so he rushed to divert the conversation somewhere else.</p>
<p>"Changbin told me you asked about Prickly," the name made Hyunjin perk up, whether it was his friend's or his plant's, but he had his attention again. "She's doing great, loves my apartment, but I feel like she might feel lonely when I'm at work until late."</p>
<p>"Where do you work?" he asked, which surprised Chan. If he had known Changbin for a while he had supposed he knew that, too. </p>
<p>"I present a music show with Changbin and another friend, Jisung, at the local radio station."</p>
<p>Hyunjin hummed, concentrated on cutting off the dry leaves of one of his plants. "I can see that, you have a nice voice."</p>
<p>Chan choked on his spit when he inhaled in surprise, completely caught off guard by the sudden compliment.</p>
<p>"I don't do much talking, though, Jisung's better at that," Chan mumbled. Although he wasn't shy when it came to speaking to a large audience, his younger friend had a natural talent for keeping the show entertaining; and it was more music than them talking, either way.</p>
<p>"Can you pass me the spray bottle?" Chan nodded at the request, but before he could reach it, said item started to levitate in the air until Hyunjin grabbed it with a roll of his eyes and a snort. "Thank you, very helpful when you want to."</p>
<p>His ironic retort was received with water sprayed right at his face. Chan chuckled, but rushed to hand the Witch a handkerchief he found on the counter, hoping it was clean enough to use.</p>
<p>"Would it be okay..." Hyunjin hid his face behind the cloth, voice cushioned behind the material, stopping his motions for a moment. Chan found it adorable. "Would it be okay to listen to your show?"</p>
<p>He was surprised by the question, and a little bit confused, too, because why wouldn't it be? But then Hyunjin lowered the handkerchief, peeking from the top of the cloth that had just revealed his eyes, and they were twinkling, reflecting the bright morning light, rendering Chan speechless, for he had never seen a sight so beautiful, so hopeful. And when he smiled, his eyes turned into two perfect crescent moons that made his heart race.</p>
<p>Time seemed to slow in that moment; Hyunjin raised a hand and with utmost delicacy, his fingers brushed the strands at the top of Chan's hair, mumbling a "<em>there's some dust</em>" like it was some kind of secret he was only meant to hear. A moment to be kept between them and only them alone, forgetting about the world around them - the gentle tinkle of silver bells, the rustling of leaves, and a low huff somewhere behind the foliage of the big house plants.</p>
<p>Sheltered in the safety of Hyunjin's company, Chan felt a little braver.</p>
<p>"We go live from 7 to 8 at night," he explained, and with a light touch of his fingers against the soft skin on the back of his hand, Hyunjin finally revealed the lower part of his face, his lips bitten to a bright cherry that matched the color of his shirt. "Monday to Friday. I'd love for you to listen to our show."</p>
<p>Their moment was put to an end when a sonorous meow echoed through the store, sounding unexpectedly too mocking for something a cat could emit. Chan was more of a dog person, but he doubted a feline could sound... like a cat but a human being at the same time. Though, that wasn't the strangest thing he had witnessed in that store, so he let it slide.</p>
<p>Hyunjin glared at the black cat, innocently peeking under a big leaf with round amber eyes as if he wasn't guilty of such a rude interruption.</p>
<p>"I should get going," announced Chan, walking to the counter to grab his bag with his groceries. Now that they were back to reality, he felt a little awkward; and his cheeks felt like they had caught on fire too. "I'm not much of help, and I've only been slowing you down with your work."</p>
<p>The Witch shook his head, an easy smile on his lips, but still accompanied Chan to the entrance door with a hand resting on his shoulder, a faint touch that he felt burning on his skin.</p>
<p>"Will I see you soon?"</p>
<p>"Promise."</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. lilac, tulip and ambrosia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>That 'soon' that Chan had promised happened three days later, when he received a phone call from Changbin a few hours before he had to head to the radio station to ask him a favor.</p><p>"So you're saying you want me to go pick up something for you?" he reiterated, frowning. Prickly waved at him from her spot on the coffee table as he passed by, and Chan felt his scowl fade as he waved back. "The last time I agreed because you were sick, what's your excuse for this time?"</p><p>Changbin faked a dry cough.</p><p>"Liar."</p><p>"No, hyung, hear me out," the boy pleaded. "I gotta do this thing I totally can't postpone and I already placed my order!"</p><p>"Why couldn't you just take your tea after ordering it," Chan sighed, plopping down on his sofa.</p><p>"I texted Hyunjin," he replied, as if it was obvious.</p><p>That certainly wasn't a possibility that Chan had contemplated. Like it was a completely foreign concept.</p><p>"Right..."</p><p>"So will you? Pretty please?"</p><p>Chan sighed, loud and dramatic to make Changbin feel bad for his blatant lie. Hopefully.</p><p>"See you at work, don't be late," his friend's complaints cut off when he hung up. He stared at the screen until the brightness dimmed and it turned black. He should get going if he didn't want to hurry later.</p><p>He stood up, stretching his arms as far up as he could until he heard his joints slightly pop and he groaned, smiling when he spotted Prickly curling and uncurling the petals of her flower.</p><p>"I should turn on the radio before I forget," he muttered to himself, walking to said device next to the TV. "Do you like listening to the radio, Prickly? Do you like my show?" he turned to face his cactus, who shook her flower with more vigour than before. Chan let out a belly laugh.</p><p>After putting on a jacket, grabbing his laptop case and making sure his wallet was in his pocket, he locked the front door of his apartment and set to it.</p><p>It should have surprised him how quickly he learned, memorized even, the way to <em>The Garden of Antheia</em>. He knew the neighbourhood pretty well and walked through its streets almost every day, but the store was just slightly off the usual route he followed to go to the train station. So, if it hadn't been for Changbin and his request, he would have never come to know such a beautiful and magical place.</p><p>He should be surprised, but he wasn't, really. He liked the magical turn his life had taken.</p><p>A row of potted tiny colorful flowers waved their even tinier leaves when they spotted Chan walking by the display window. The ivy stretched its leaves and followed his direction, the few steps until he reached the entrance door and pushed it open, with the consequential tinkle of the three silver bells and an unexpected sharp gasp that made Hyunjin and his peculiar guest jump up in place.</p><p>Chan had thought meeting the Witch had opened his eyes to a new world - a sentient, magic store and its moving, <em>living</em> plants, good luck charms and a possible love interest; he didn't know it would also include a kid with... a fox tail.</p><p>A fluffy auburn tail peeking under the hem of a knit sweater. Before the thought of it being fake crossed his mind the tail twitched, a small movement that didn't go unnoticed under his scrutinizing. </p><p>
  <em>Okay...</em>
</p><p>His eyes followed the back of the stranger, up to the top of his head, where a pair of fox ears were jutting out from his reddish hair.</p><p>"Hyunjin, what to do!" the kid whisper-shouted, grabbing the Witch by his shoulders and shaking him. "She shouldn't have let him in! Dear Goddess, I'm gonna lose my job. We're in trouble."</p><p>Despite his obvious despair, Hyunjin let out a loud laugh.</p><p>"We're good, Jeongin, no need to panic," he calmly stated, patting the top of his head between the fox ears. Jeongin visibly relaxed at his reassuring, letting go of Hyunjin and exhaling through his mouth with relief. "He's my friend."</p><p>When two pairs of eyes fell on Chan, he awkwardly waved a hand. The plants and flowers in the store began to shake its leaves and petals, greeting Chan back even if it hadn't been directed to them. The fox boy seemed surprised at their enthusiasm.</p><p>"See? He's very much welcomed here," Hyunjin was looking right at Chan, although he was speaking to Jeongin. </p><p>"Okay, got it. All good," he nodded, more to himself than the other boy. He reached down to the brown messenger bag placed by his hip, with a thick, weared down strap crossing his chest from his right shoulder to his left side. "Anyway, to what I'm here for. Your mail," Jeongin handed Hyunjin a small stack of envelopes.</p><p>The Witch read whatever was written on the one on top and scowled, dropping them on the counter with a tired sigh.</p><p>"See you, Hyunjin! Send Minho if you need anything! I'm at your disposal anytime!"</p><p>Chan had expected him to leave through the entrance door, even though his rather <em>not</em> human ears and tail would attract too much attention; however, the fox boy made a beeline for the store's back door - that opened of its own accord - and waved at them goodbye with a bright, foxy smile before it closed again.</p><p>"This silly fox left before I could introduce you," Hyunjin muttered with a small smile on his lips, pushing the round, gold-rimmed glasses he was wearing up his nose. "Good morning, Chan."</p><p>Hyunjin hadn't changed his tone when addressing him, the same serene way as when he had calmed Jeongin down, but whenever he said his name Chan felt like a spell was cast, for it made the tips of his fingers tingle and invisible strings pull him closer to the Witch, begging him to shorten the distance. Chan took a step forward.</p><p>"Morning, Hyunjin," a reciprocating smile came easy to him. "Who was that?"</p><p>"Oh, he's a courier from the Magic Domain," he explained, and before Chan could ask what exactly that place was, Hyunjin beckoned him to come towards him and once they were standing side by side, he leaned until his breath tickled Chan's ear. "The Magic Domain is a secret place, another world, where all magic beings are from. Before Witches came to the Human Domain we lived there, our magic lived there."</p><p>Chan almost opened his mouth to ask why was he telling him about that, if it was supposed to be a secret; but then it dawned on him - Hyunjin trusted him enough to introduce him to even more of his world, a bigger part of it past his store and plants. A part that apparently was a <em>secret</em>. He doubted a normal human being like him was allowed to know such information, and for a few, tense seconds, he expected... something. A splash of water at his face, maybe. But when the time passed and nothing happened, Chan thought the store also trusted him with that knowledge.</p><p>Hyunjin must had caught on his thoughts, for he started chuckling softly, his breath warming Chan's cheek from how close they were still standing.</p><p>"There's a portal at the back of the store that connects to the Magic Domain. Jeongin only has business here with me so he tends to get a little nervous when he has to come to the Human Domain," his voice took a teasing lilt, swaying a bit on his feet and brushing his shoulder with Chan's. He smelled like roses and lemon, Chan noticed. "Minho too! Even though he prefers this side and spends most of his time here, but he doesn't even help around!" Chan wondered what could a cat help with in the store. Hyunjin stopped for a moment, seemingly pondering on an idea he just had. "Would you like to see it? The portal, I mean."</p><p>That offer took Chan off guard. He was getting used to being surrounded by magic whenever he was with Hyunjin, but at the same time, he felt like he couldn't keep up with all the new information being thrown at him. However, if it meant learning more about the Witch and his world, Chan would gladly accept whatever came.</p><p>But then he remembered he had to go to work soon.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Hyunjin, I can't." </p><p>The other boy opened his eyes wide and took a small step back. It suddenly seemed to get colder in the store for Chan.</p><p>"Oh no, was that too much? Please don't apologize, I'm the one at fault. I should think before I talk," he shook his head, as if to reprimand himself.</p><p>"It's not that, I'd love to, but I can't stay for much longer," maybe he should have started with that. "Can't be late for work," he laughed, though it came out a little awkwardly. With the reassuring that Chan was okay with Hyunjin wanting to show him more about his store, the Witch nodded in understanding, a light blush coloring the top of his cheeks. "Oh, and that reminds me, I came to pick up a tea package for Changbin."</p><p>Hyunjin giggled, amused at the obvious annoyed tone of his voice, and held up a finger before he turned to open a couple of drawers from the cabinet behind the counter. He muttered a low <em>aha</em> under his breath when he found the shiny green paper bag for Changbin, but for a few seconds - two, three - he stared at his hands deep in thought.</p><p>"Hey Chan, can I ask you something?" he turned around to look at the aforementioned, who nodded for him to go on. "That..." the boy pointed at his own face, just bellow his lower eyelids, and Chan quickly understood what he meant - the evident dark circles under his eyes.</p><p>"Nothing to worry about," Chan replied, chin dipping down. He would have left it at that if he hadn't felt the worry radiate from Hyunjin. "I have trouble sleeping most nights but I'm already used to it."</p><p>"That's not good!" exclaimed the Witch, turning around again to frantically rummage through the drawers, opening and closing one after another. "Here it is!"</p><p>It was another paper bag, pastel yellow with a matte finish and a sticker with the store's logo. Hyunjin handed it, plus Changbin's tea, to Chan with a proud smile, their hands brushing with the brief exchange.</p><p>"It won't cure insomnia, but it'll make you sleep better. It's a tea made of vervain, chamomile and lemon balm," the Witch took out a bigger paper bag with twisted handles and let Chan put both teas inside, then stated the price. Chan frowned, for he had a feeling it was cheaper than what it should actually cost.</p><p>Chan pointed at the yellow paper bag. "How much's this one?"</p><p>"It's on the h-"</p><p>"There's no way I'm letting you give me something for free again," he sharply protested, hands on his hips. </p><p>Hyunjin seemed taken aback for a few seconds at how he had responded, until he noticed Chan wasn't truly angry. Really, he was just looking out for his business; if what Changbin had told him was true and Hyunjin was struggling to make ends meet, he couldn't just gift things for free! </p><p>The Witch let out a small, embarrassed smile, but he could tell how much he had appreciated the gesture. Chan was also grateful for the other boy for caring for his wellbeing, even though he didn't deem it as important of an issue.</p><p>"I hope it helps," Hyunjin mentioned after putting the money in the cash drawer. The silence didn't seem to fit his store well, but ever since his interruption, even the faint rustle of the plants in the back had stopped. "Make sure to keep me updated."</p><p>Chan wondered if that was his way of telling him to come more often. Which, he would gladly do. When he was about to reply, though, a fleeting idea crossed his mind, remembering the phone conversation he had with Changbin earlier that day. For a moment, Chan felt brave enough to be bold, for once, so he seized the opportunity.</p><p>"I could text you how it goes?"</p><p>A blush slowly crept from his neck up to his cheeks and nose, painting Hyunjin's face like one of his pretty roses. Despite his very obvious red face, he was quick to nod his head with a big smile, and accept Chan's phone to enter his number. When he gave it back, Chan could feel the rapid <em>thump thump</em> of his heart in his ears.</p><p><em>I hope Jisung is proud of this move</em>, he thought, sending the Witch a simple text before he pocketed his phone again.</p><p>He then noticed Hyunjin had his eyes fixated on him. The corners of his lips were slightly turned up, like he was smiling unthinkingly, almost by reflex. The blush adorning his cheeks had faded a little, a pale tint barely there that made his features appear softer, angelical even. With the reflection of the midday sun making his eyes sparkle, truly shine, Chan felt enraptured, drawn to the other boy as if he had bewitched him with his gaze alone.</p><p>It was only the reminder that he should rush to make it in time for his train that seemed to break the spell, regretfully. If it wasn't for his responsibilities (and that it could potentially get him fired, no thanks) Chan was sure he could have stayed all day in the company of the Witch, under the magic spell that wouldn't let him take his eyes off him.</p><p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>
  <em>hwang hyunjin </em>
</p><p>good night chan ~</p><p>we really enjoyed the songs you played today !! the plants wouldn't stop dancing cx </p><p>The image that popped up in his mind of the plants swaying with the music made Chan laugh, covering his mouth with his free hand to not disturb the sleeping man next to his seat in the train ride back home.</p><p>
  <em>bang chan </em>
</p><p>Good night, Hyunjin</p><p>I'm glad you guys liked them</p><p>If you want, you can suggest songs you want to be played during the show</p><p>
  <em>hwang hyunjin </em>
</p><p>really ?? o.o</p><p>Actually, there was a form in their website for everyone that wanted to make a suggestion that they had to fill in and send, but Chan reasoned it would be easier for Hyunjin to do it like this.</p><p>
  <em>bang chan </em>
</p><p>Yeah</p><p>The offer is on the table</p><p>
  <em>hwang hyunjin </em>
</p><p>hahaha thank u !!</p><p>i don't know much about what's trendy rn tho</p><p>it's the first time she's ever let me play something in the store !! &gt;.&lt;</p><p>so,, my music knowledge</p><p>is zero u.u'</p><p>The way he texted somehow really suited Hyunjin, and he could even imagine his voice and the faces he'd make. </p><p>
  <em>hwang hyunjin </em>
</p><p>remember your tea btw !!</p><p>you can add a tablespoon of honey if you like it sweet but it's fine without</p><p>
  <em>bang chan </em>
</p><p>I remember the tea</p><p>I'm on my way home now, so I'll prepare it before I go to bed</p><p>Hyunjin sent a photo of a shocked face that made Chan cackle, the loud, sudden noise eliciting a grunt from the man next to him. There were only a couple of stations left to arrive to his destination.</p><p><em>hwang hyunjin</em> </p><p>have a safe trip (^^) </p><p>give prickly a kiss for me !!</p><p>... or maybe not that would hurt</p><p>a hug? from a safe distance?</p><p>
  <em>bang chan </em>
</p><p>I'm sure she'd love to hear from you</p><p>He started typing '<em>Maybe you could come visit...</em>' but deleted it immediately after, feeling the tips of his ears burn. The little ounce of courage he had managed to summon that morning had since evaporated. </p><p>Text messages were a new territory, and even though it should feel easier to flirt (should he call it flirting? What would Changbin and Jisung say?), playing it safe, having extra time to think his answers and not embarrassing himself by blushing like a tomato; it felt strange. It made him miss talking face to face with Hyunjin, seeing his expressions and the way his eyes lit up at the smallest reaction his plants had, hearing his laugh and all the love and care he poured into everything he did. He thought talking via text messages would help make it seem like he was there, too, but it just made him miss Hyunjin more.</p><p>'<em>Oh,</em>' Chan thought when he got off the train at his station, '<em>I like </em>like<em> him</em>.'</p><p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>"Watch it!"</p><p>The abrupt, sharp exclamation stopped Chan in his tracks, right in time to avoid stepping on broken pottery shards and dirt. The tinkle of the three little silver bells signaled the entrance door had closed behind him.</p><p>"Sorry," said Hyunjin, letting out a shaky, nervous laugh. He was wearing a pair of green gardening gloves and his yellow apron, busy handling something on the counter to look up. "We had a little accident this morning. A customer accidentally knocked the pansies on his way out, and they are know sulking which resulted in everyone else being moody," he sighed, taking off the gloves and patting one of the flowers of the pansies he had just finished repotting. </p><p>Chan sidestepped the mess on the floor and stood near the ivy, who didn't try to reach out its tendril to him like it'd done before; when he raised his hand to shake one of its leaves like a greeting, the plant seemed to cheer up, passing on its good mood to the rest of the store. The rustling sound that took over the place felt like a little celebration, like the plants were shouting with their usual joyous mood.</p><p>Hyunjin returned the pansies to their spot on the stand next to the entrance door, beside the gerbera daisies that had taken a liking to Changbin. He stared at Chan with a look he couldn't decipher, not quite smiling but almost, the corners of his lips just shy of curving up, features softened, thoughtful. He couldn't make sense of it, but it was captivating to see how, the longer they looked at each other, the more Hyunjin seemed to <em>feel</em>.</p><p>"You're like the sun."</p><p>The statement caught Chan off guard, who choked on his spit and had to turn his face to avoid coughing at Hyunjin.</p><p>He wanted to ask why - because he was... intense? Overwhelming? What did that mean? How did Hyunjin perceive him? - but the words got stuck in his throat when the Witch approached him to gently pat his back.</p><p>"Are you okay, Chan?" he laughed, despite the slight concern in his voice. When his coughing fit ceased, Hyunjin put his hand in the apron's pocket and took out a wrapped candy. "It's honey lemon flavored."</p><p>Chan thanked him and popped the candy into his mouth, savouring the soothing sweetness. Hyunjin hummed, a smile on his lips, and seemingly content with the situation he went back to the counter. He didn't even mention anything about his declaration, leaving it as a thought he just happened to say out loud. </p><p>While Hyunjin cleaned the counter with a rag, the store took care of the broken shards and dirt; Chan thought he had already gotten used to the bizarre things that happened there, but the sight of a broom sweeping the floor on its own nearly made him snort in disbelief.</p><p>"Are you busy?"</p><p>The question escaped his lips before his mind realized what he said. He always enjoyed spending time with Hyunjin, but it felt like he interfered with his job every time he came, even if Hyunjin never said anything about it.</p><p>"Not really. You're my second customer of the day."</p><p>Although he wasn't looking at him, Chan noticed the tone of dismay in his voice; the store had been open for hours, and only two people came by so far!</p><p>Right, Changbin had mentioned about the store's lack of customers. Which was baffling; the place was beautiful, and despite not having much decoration, all the flora around the space made up for that with its variety of colors, forms and textures, that matched well with the pale yellow walls and wooden floor. Chan wasn't well versed in art, but Hyunjin's store could well compare to Monet's gardens (sans the pond, of course). If he had been a painter, <em>The Garden of Antheia</em> would have been the center of his pieces.</p><p>And that aside, Hyunjin had really nice, high-quality products that were all the more special because he made them.</p><p>It didn't sit right with Chan that the store wasn't as popular as it should be, but what could he do, really, other than offer his support.</p><p>"I'd like to buy a flower," he blurted out.</p><p>Hyunjin turned around, startled, although a smile quickly spread across his face.</p><p>"A single stem?" Chan nodded. "Would you like to choose one yourself?" he pointed behind him, where most blooms were presented. Noticing Chan's gaze had shifted to them, the plants started to shake their leaves calling for his undivided attention, making him chuckle.</p><p>It seemed like they were all excitedly chanting '<em>Me! Me! Me!</em>' as he walked closer. He gently brushed the velvety petals with the pads of his fingers, and let the leaves curl around his pinky. The flowers were all gorgeous, delicate blooms with pleasant fragrances; the roses probably stood out the most with their vibrant reds, and the yellow chrysanthemums were also pretty eye-catching. There were so many different ones, half of which he didn't even know the name of, that it proved to be a difficult decision to make. Hyunjin apparently found his vacillation funny, for he could hear a faint laughter behind his back, paired with the distant jingling of bells.</p><p>As he scanned the tables and racks for the third time, the pale purplish tint of some blooms, grown in panicles, caught his eye. They were the same color as the blouse Hyunjin was wearing that morning, Chan thought with an absent-minded smile. He pointed them out for the Witch, who hummed as he picked a stem, wrapped it in brown crafting paper and tied it together with the blue ribbon he had shown him last week.</p><p>"There you go! A single stem lilac bouquet!"</p><p>Chan paid for his purchase, and when Hyunjin handed him the flower, he stared at it for a few seconds, thumbing the silky material of the ribbon. Then, he gave it back to the other boy.</p><p>Hyunjin made a confused face, cutely tilting his head to the side, but still accepted the bouquet.</p><p>"For you."</p><p>The way Hyunjin's face rapidly turned red surprised Chan. The intense color on the apples of his cheeks reminded him of the roses he was just looking at moments before; it seemed to be a recurring thing for Chan to find similitudes with Hyunjin and his flowers.</p><p>"It matches your shirt," Chan explained, though it came out a little awkward. The Witch had been opening and closing his mouth without emitting a single word, eyes as wide as possible, and when Chan pointed that out, he looked down with surprise as if he had forgotten what he was wearing that day.</p><p>Hyunjin audibly swallowed, muttering a faint '<em>it does'</em> like he couldn't quite believe that was the sole reason, simply as it sounded.</p><p>Did he fuck up? Was it that bad to buy something only to give it back even if it was meant as a gift? Chan was growing self-conscious as the seconds ticked by, emphasizing the uncomfortable silence that had settled in the store. He was about to apologize when Hyunjin suddenly shook his head, waking up from his trance, and gently hugged the flower to his chest.</p><p>"Thank you so much," he finally replied, a blooming smile on his lips that was so sweet, so heartfelt, that felt like he had more to say, secrets to disclose, but that it wasn't the time for that, yet.</p><p>However long it took, Chan would wait.</p><p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>"They're asking when are we going to present something new."</p><p>Chan paused typing on his laptop to look at Jisung. The younger boy was sat in front of him, with his phone on one hand and a soda on the other. His own work lay forgotten in the middle of the table, a mess of balled up papers and scattered documents and uncapped pens.</p><p>Changbin took out one of his earbuds to listen better. "What?"</p><p>"On Twitter, I've seen a few people asking about new songs from us," he explained, taking a long sip of his soda until he emptied it and tossed it to the trash can near the door.</p><p>Changbin cheered when it got in.</p><p>"Mmm," Changbin paused whatever he was listening to in his laptop and propped his chin on the palm of his hand. "I wrote a song a while ago, and Jisung did too, like a month ago. So it's Chan's turn."</p><p>The aforementioned frowned. "Why me. We could work on one together."</p><p>"But the solo tracks got so much positive feedback!" Jisung protested, lightly kicking Chan under the table only to ignore his glare afterwards. "We got so many comments on how it highlighted each of our styles and the audience liked it. You wouldn't want to disappoint our dear listeners, right, hyung?"</p><p>Chan absolutely hated when the younger knew he was right and got all smug about it.</p><p>"I'll think of something," he grumbled, mentally going through some of the tracks he had been working on during his free time, but none seemed to please him. He would have to come up with something new.</p><p>"Have it ready for next friday," Changbin piped up. "So we can prepare the script today. You'll have this weekend and next week to finish it, I'm sure you can!"</p><p>Sometimes Chan was convinced that his friends either had really high expectations for him, or were spawns of the devil himself.</p><p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>Friday nights were busy, bustling with activity as they meant the start of the long-awaited weekend, and the train was always packed with people at such hours; families going out to dine, young students hanging out with friends, or colleagues heading to bars to celebrate the end of their work week.</p><p>Chan had managed to claim a spot on the other side of the opening doors, squished between a group of loud college students and a mother with her weeping baby.</p><p>Unfortunately, Chan had forgotten his earphones at home, so he didn't have anything to block the rowdy atmosphere inside the train. At least his station wasn't that far away, that was his only consolation.</p><p>Noisy as it was, he almost didn't hear his phone giving a short<em> beep</em> in his pocket.</p><p>It was a text from Hyunjin.</p><p>
  <em>hwang hyunjin </em>
</p><p>good night chan !!!</p><p>i have something to ask you</p><p>That piqued Chan's interest; what could he possibly want to ask?</p><p><em>bang chan</em> </p><p>Go ahead</p><p>For the next couple of minutes, he watched with mild amusement the three dots on his screen as Hyunjin typed, paused, typed and paused again reiterated times, like he wasn't exactly sure what to write.</p><p>
  <em>hwang hyunjin </em>
</p><p>are you busy tomorrow?</p><p>Well, he wanted to get started on the song, mostly figure out the vibe he wanted to go with for it, but it could wait. </p><p><em>bang chan</em> </p><p>Not really</p><p>What did you have in mind?</p><p>Hyunjin didn't reply. At least for a few minutes that stretched way too long for Chan. He was about to ask what was wrong when he saw him typing again. Chan almost sighed in relief.</p><p><em>hwang hyunjin</em> </p><p>wanna come hang out? for lunch or something idk ...</p><p>i could cook something !! if you're okay with that &gt;.&lt;</p><p>or not, whatever you want it's okay !!</p><p>Chan felt his cheeks hurt from the force of his smile. He couldn't help thinking how adorable Hyunjin was, wondering if he was as nervous as he felt in that moment. He was surprised too, that the Witch seemed to want to spend time with him outside of his work hours. It was embarrassing how fast his heart was beating in that moment, he was convinced anyone in the train could hear it over the rattling and the roaring conversations!</p><p>
  <em>bang chan </em>
</p><p>Lunch sounds good Hyunjin</p><p>Count me in</p><p>In lieu of replying, Hyunjin sent a row of emojis - thumbs-up, happy face, and a bunch of flowers - that made Chan chuckle. He decided to leave it like that too, not sure what would an appropiate answer to that be. More happy faces? A '<em>looking forward to tomorrow'</em>? Should he offer to bring dessert? Or was that already in the invitation, for common courtesy? </p><p>Even after he got off the train, walked home, and arrived there safe and sound, he was still thinking about it; the heat in his cheeks not dwindling for as long as it was present in his mind, making him feel like he was in a daze, working on autopilot as he ate some snacks, replied to emails and prepared for bed later on.</p><p>That night, he dreamt of red roses, lemon trees and lilacs.</p><p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>It wasn't until Chan woke up the next morning and had breakfast (and his brain truly started functioning), that he realized Hyunjin hadn't said anything about what time should he go to his store. They were meeting for lunch, so maybe he shouldn't go too early; Hyunjin would be working either way!</p><p>He never thought he'd get this stressed about a simple date.</p><p>No, not that. A friendly lunch meet-up; Chan had to remind himself that Hyunjin hadn't specified anything and therefore he shouldn't assume. And the mere mention of the word <em>date</em> made his entire face redden. </p><p>He still had a few hours until it was a reasonable time to head to <em>The Garden of Antheia</em>, so meanwhile, he decided to get started on his song. Chan grabbed his laptop and keyboard and settled on the living room sofa, moving a pile of books to the side to make room in the coffee table. Prickly seemed enthusiastic about his choice, waving her pads like she was dancing to imaginary music.</p><p>After a bit of thought, Chan decided to go for something that felt like spring - as it was the season they currently were in. Something... bright, like the flowers that started to bloom in the shift from the cold months to the heat of summer. It also made him think of youth, changes. The start of something beautiful, the first sip of a refreshing drink.</p><p>Something colorful in stark contrast of the pure white snow that just melted. </p><p>Chan kept thinking of flowers.</p><p>Of their pretty shades and velvety petals. Their delicate and sweet aromas. The happy sway of their leaves when they were showered with love and attention.</p><p>Chan kept thinking of Hyunjin's flowers.</p><p>It was that something special, <em>magical</em>, that his plants had that felt even more fitting for spring. A garden of vibrant specks of all colors imaginable, a sea of earthy tones and silver whispers.</p><p>Chan kept thinking of Hyunjin's store.</p><p>Weren't roses spring flowers? He liked the colors of their soft petals, from an intense red to ruby, some a peach shade and even the softest pink. An array of tones he couldn't help but liken to blushing skin, adorning the tip of a nose like a flower bud, or round cheeks like they were covered by the finest silk.</p><p>Oh damn, Chan was now thinking of Hyunjin.</p><p>He heaved a deep sigh, tilting his head back until it hit the back of the sofa. His mind seemed to be too focused on today to think of anything else.</p><p>After a few minutes of blankly staring into space, Chan deemed it a good time to head to Hyunjin's store; if he couldn't concentrate on his work might as well leave it for another day. So he went to get ready (putting on his favorite socks and the jeans Changbin said made him look taller), turned on the radio for Prickly and made sure he locked the door before he set to <em>The Garden of Antheia</em>. </p><p>The weather was pleasant. It was significantly warmer than last week, and it was a little windy too, making the few clouds in the sky appear and disappear behind buildings in a constant pace. As distracted as he was, he almost walked past the neighbourhood's bakery, but Chan was quick to realize once he caught a whiff of their sweet pastries. He bought some osmanthus cakes to share with Hyunjin later.</p><p>The rest of the way to the herbal shop, Chan tried to even his heartbeat, repeating in his head like a chant that there was nothing to feel nervous about, that he was going to see a friend, and that they wouldn't even be alone when the store and even the plants inside could understand and interact with them. If he thought about it that way, that last part was probably the one he should worry about the most. But well, it didn't even faze him at this point.</p><p>He was considerably more calm once he reached his destination, but as the three little silver bells tinkled behind him, the door closing soundlessly, Chan was rooted to the spot upon noticing an unfamiliar face where Hyunjin was supposed to be, the Witch nowhere in sight.</p><p>"Oh, um, hello?" greeted Chan after a few seconds of staring at the stranger, who in turn kept his round eyes trained on Chan, almost without blinking. Maybe he was that one thing he had to worry about today, if only he actually knew the man.</p><p>The most unnerving part of him were his eyes, of a warm yellow, a golden color that looked eerie but quite real at the same time. Whatever contact lenses he was wearing must have costed a lot if it didn't look like he had put on some. Chan would have preferred to see Jeongin and his fox ears again, if only because the kid seemed less... threatening.</p><p>The unknown man raised his head from where it had been resting on the palm of his hand, and Chan saw his nose minutely twitch. "Smells good," he stated, eyes shifting from his face down to the plastic bag in his hand where the osmanthus cakes were. Chan didn't know what to say in response to that.</p><p>The sound of rustling leaves prompted Chan to look away from the man behind the counter, to the flowers near the entrance asking for his attention. The ivy on the ceiling gently patted his hair, and when he returned the favor, stroking the lowest leaves with his fingers, the plant seemed to shake with excitement. </p><p>Chan pointedly ignored the snort the stranger let out, but perked up when he heard the back door open.</p><p>"Chan!" exclaimed Hyunjin, a big smile on his face, quickly setting down the small box he was holding on the counter to approach the aforementioned. "Sorry, I was checking the plants in the greenhouse, I didn't even hear the door bells," Chan was about to reply when Hyunjin spotted the man in his usual place, his smile now replaced with a frown. "What are you doing here?"</p><p><em>At least he seems to know him</em>, Chan thought, quietly sighing with relief. Though he doubted the store would have allowed a stranger to stay unsupervised.</p><p>The man scoffed, more amused than offended at his words. "Taking charge of the shop while you were back there," he explained, pausing for a moment to lazily stretch his arms over his head. "Now I'd like to see you complain that I never help around."</p><p>"You still never do," Hyunjin rolled his eyes, but the other man just laughed at his retort and walked up to them. </p><p>"It was nice to meet you," he addressed Chan, his tone a tad sardonic. "Thank you for the offering."</p><p>Before Chan could ask what he meant, or even introduce himself, the man took the plastic bag with the cakes from his hand and scurried away.</p><p>"Minho!!" Hyunjin yelled, but the other had already disappeared from sight, the back door closing shortly after. </p><p>"Is that his name? Like the cat's?"</p><p>"He <em>is</em> the cat," answered Hyunjin, bursting into laughter at Chan's shocked face. The yellow eyes made more sense, now. "Minho usually prefers to stay in his cat form, but he also loves the Human Domain, so he's always around here."</p><p>He could imagine a few reasons why, and they all involved food.</p><p>"Thank you for coming, by the way. I know it's Saturday, and probably you had better things to do on your day off, but-" Hyunjin cut himself off, lightly coughing into his fist. His cheeks had gained a lovely blush. "But still, I'm glad you're here."</p><p>"Well, thank you for inviting me," murmured Chan, feeling his face heat up. He was off to a good start if even this made him feel shy; how was he supposed to last an entire meal with the constant sensation of his skin having caught on fire?</p><p>But Hyunjin didn't seem bothered by his sudden bashfulness. The Witch gave him a big smile, and clapped his hands a couple of times. "C'mon, I'll show you upstairs!"</p><p>Chan didn't even think twice when Hyunjin held out his hand and so he grabbed it, letting the Witch guide him through the back door and up a flight of stairs that led to a green-painted door. It had a bunch of stems of dried orange and dark yellow flowers with long petals, tied together with a shiny red bow and hung from a nail stuck in the wood. Before Hyunjin could reach for the doorknob, it swung open, and he giggled a '<em>thank you'</em> as he tugged on Chan's hand.</p><p>Hyunjin's home looked just like the store - with plants and flowers and even botanical motifs and decorations everywhere, with the same pale yellow paint on the walls and the same caramel-colored wooden floor. But it was a lot more cozy, although a tad bit more messy, and <em>homey</em>, something so utterly Hyunjin that it made Chan instantly relax, feel welcomed.</p><p>He felt a bubble of laughter form in his throat when he followed the Witch to the kitchen, and he saw a little lemon tree in the corner next to the dining table, swaying left and right as if it was being moved by a gentle gust of wind.</p><p>"She was really excited to meet you," said Hyunjin, softly patting the top leaves. The tree started to shake more vigorously, so much it caused a poor lemon to fall from one of the branches, making the Witch burst out laughing as he crouched down to pick it up.</p><p>Chan would have laughed too, if he hadn't been distracted by Hyunjin's words, replaying in his mind over and over again and slowly sinking in, for what they implied.</p><p>He knew the Witch talked to his plants. Chan had seen it plenty of times; and he himself talked to Prickly almost everyday! But it took him by surprise that he could be one of the topics, that Hyunjin willingly told his plants about him, and to the point they would be <em>eager</em> to meet him. </p><p>It was... heartwarming. The way things had developed up to this point - steadily making his way into Hyunjin's life, learning more about the Witch everytime they met, and falling for him every single time, too. Since that moment he first entered <em>The Garden of Antheia</em>, and the store had so easily accepted him when they were just mere strangers, like she had <em>known</em>. The store trusted Chan, not only about her magic, but about Hyunjin, as well.</p><p>Chan felt something bubbling inside his chest, light and ticklish, painted the beautiful yellow of hope.</p><p>.。･:🎕:･。.</p><p>Aside from composing, Chan also really liked reading - he enjoyed learning new things, so the array of topics he read about were pretty wide, even though he mostly leaned towards fiction or even music-themed ones. The last book he had picked up was one about Australia's fauna that he found at a thrift store, but that had been a month ago, with how busy he's been lately.</p><p>But it not only entertained him, served as a mere pastime, for he would find inspiration for new songs in the most unexpected moments traveling from page to page, diving into other worlds and periods and cultures.</p><p>Every once in a while, and when he had time to spare, he visited his favorite bookstore to browse the racks for something new that piqued his interest.</p><p>What caught his eyes this time was a beautifully detailed illustration of a sunflower, with the title, <em>Rosé's Guide to The Language of Flowers</em>, written in a sophisticated gold font. He remembered the charmed bookmark Hyunjin had gifted him and the meaning the flowers he used had. Upon opening the book to quickly take a look at its contents, he stumbled upon the bells of Ireland; good luck, like Hyunjin had explained. A few pages after that, he found the heather, which he also recognized. And many other flowers he had seen in Hyunjin's store.</p><p>But what made Chan stop, eyes wide and mouth agape, was the meaning for the lilac, the flower he had so dumbly given to Hyunjin because it matched his shirt; <em>first emotions of love</em>.</p><p>So Chan had accidentally confessed his feelings to Hyunjin.</p><p>And Hyunjin didn't even say a single thing back then nor questioned Chan.</p><p>However, did it mean something, <em>anything</em>, if he had accepted it, either way? Even if he probably knew Chan had no idea what the flower meant, and even if he didn't try to explain, or enquire about it.</p><p>Did it mean Hyunjin was okay with it, and that he was waiting for Chan to realize and react accordingly?</p><p>He could feel his heartbeat starting to race, pounding against his chest like the ticking of a clock telling Chan to hurry, to make the most of the rush of bravery this eye-opening discovery gave him.</p><p>If he wanted to get to work on time, Chan had to run.</p><p><em>The Garden of Antheia</em> wasn't too far from the bookstore, but it took him a good ten minutes of dodging people and impatiently waiting at crosswalks for the light to turn green. When he finally reached the store, Chan realized with embarrassment that he was sweating, short of breath, and his face was probably a bright red color. That didn't deter him, though, and after taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open.</p><p>"Good morning, Chan," Hyunjin greeted, smile on his face that quickly turned into a confused frown. Chan thought he looked adorable, with his yellow apron and big round glasses.</p><p>"Good morning, Hyunjin. I'll have to be quick so my apologies," he stated, and he couldn't help but smile at Hyunjin's head tilt, nodding at his words. "I want to buy a flower."</p><p>The Witch chuckled, walking around the counter to stand next to Chan. He raised a hand to straighten Chan's jacket on his shoulder and sleeve. "A single stem?" when the other affirmed it with his head, he motioned to his plants. "Choose one, then!"</p><p>This time, however, he knew which one he wanted. Chan still took a few seconds to greet the flowers, who were happily waving their leaves at him like they always did, as he looked for the red blooms he had in mind. Soon he found them, and he pointed at them for Hyunjin to take one stem to wrap and embellish.</p><p>"Here you go, a single stem, red tulip bouquet."</p><p>Chan gulped, paid Hyunjin for his purchase, and once the Witch faced him again, he rushed to hand the flower back before he could cower. He didn't have to say anything else to that, as Hyunjin took the bouquet and gently laughed, partly hiding his face behind its wrapping paper. Chan thought he saw the hint of a beautiful pink blooming on his cheeks, resembling the tint of the cotton candy he saw a street vendor sell on his way there. He truly saw Hyunjin everywhere.</p><p>"What does it match, this time?"</p><p>Hyunjin looked down; he wasn't wearing anything red that day.</p><p>"My feelings."</p><p>Time seemed to slow down right in that moment. Chan heard his heart beating too loudly in his ears, <em>ba bump ba bump</em>, drowning any other sounds around the store past the gasp that left Hyunjin's parted lips. His skin flushed so prettily, eyes wide and bright, like they were saying everything but Chan was too overwhelmed to understand anything.</p><p>Right when he was about to elaborate on his confession, even if just so he could break the silence and prevent it from getting awkward, Hyunjin raised his hand, set the flower down on the counter, and hurried to the racks on the other side of the store.</p><p>To say Chan was confused was an understatement; he wasn't sure what he had expected, what Hyunjin's answer could be, but he thought it would be a lot more... verbal. Which, truthfully, he didn't feel like he was <em>that</em> good at when it came to romantic feelings.</p><p>"Here."</p><p>Hyunjin was holding a branched stem with cute little yellowish-green flowers, his smile so big it made his eyes squint. Chan took it carefully, thumbing at the numerous leaves it had along the stem. He couldn't remember seeing this one in the book.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but I really don't know what it is or its meaning," he muttered, breath hitching when Hyunjin wrapped his hands around Chan's, holding him as gently as he treated his plants.</p><p>"Ambrosia. It symbolizes returned love."</p><p>Chan's brain only managed to provide a barely audible "<em>Oh</em>," that made the Witch cackle, the lively sound accompanied by the distant whisper of silver bells and the faint rustling of leaves.</p><p>Hyunjin let go of his hold to cup his jaw, caressing the reddened skin high on Chan's cheeks. His eyes shifted from Chan's own to his lips and back up; they were so clear and shiny, hopeful and genuine, asking a question and waiting for granted permission. Chan answered by leaning forward, slow but steady, tilting his head back a bit and closing his eyes until he felt Hyunjin smiling against his lips.</p><p>The sudden, blaring song coming from Chan's jacket startled them apart. Chan almost dropped the ambrosia as he tried to get his phone out of his pocket, scowling at the incoming phone call, Jisung's name on the top of the screen. He didn't know if he had to feel grateful for the reminder that he had work, or reprimand the younger for interrupting the moment.</p><p>The Witch giggled, his breath warm against Chan's face, smelling sweet like roses and something citrusy, and before the latter could apologize he felt a soft peck on his cheek, followed by another on the corner of his lips that made his heart skip a beat.</p><p>"You should go, we don't want you to be late, mh?"</p><p>Chan hummed, and with a touch of his fingers, he brushed a strand of hair away from Hyunjin's eyes. He felt warm, content, so much he couldn't control the force of his smile.</p><p>"Will I see you tomorrow?"</p><p>Chan hugged the ambrosia to his heart; he couldn't wait until night fell and the sun rose, signaling the start of a new day where he could be with his love, his love that was reciprocated.</p><p>"Promise."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Antheia, the goddess of flowers and mortal love.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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